GGO: Operation Juno
by Vanguard Aquila
Summary: An investigative journalist asked the veteran players of GGO about Operation Juno. What exciting details of secrets, dilemmas, and mistakes will the players reveal? Hear it from the front line soldiers themselves! NO SPOILERS for the phantom bullet arc. Characters are mostly OCs and a few cannon ones are included like Argo, Sinon, and Kirito.
1. Prologue

Prologue

_**"It wasn't just a game; it was part of our reality."**_

I watched the old woman bargain endlessly with the vegetable seller; despite being loud, their voices were drowned out by the jarring noises of the busy thoroughfare. From the second floor of the coffee shop, I could see the full length of the Old Market street; it was brimming with activity. Despite being called a street it was completely closed off to any vehicles, only pedestrians were allowed and the sellers set up their mobile shops right on the road.

"Is it always this noisy?" The young man who was sitting in front of me asked. I could tell that he had never been to a country like this before; his clean shirt, and neat hair contrasted greatly against the grimy atmosphere.

"You have never been to Indochina before?"

"No, though I heard that a lot has changed."

"Nothing has changed." I said bluntly.

"Why?"

"The more things change," I stopped to look at my surroundings. The coffee shop, which was a renovated building since the colonial era, proudly displayed its French Architectural history. The bright yellow walls, the white columns and window corners, the arches, and the dazzling floor tiles were all survivors; they have outlived several generations and will probably outlive me too. I continued, "the more they stay the same."

"Enough, I'm sure you are not here to ask me about politics." I added.

"I would want to leave that subject aside too."

"What do you want then?" I asked the young journalist in front of me with a hint of annoyance; who wouldn't be annoyed? I thought I was going to have a quiet Saturday, however, this young man wanted to have a meeting with me.

"Uhh… about the incident of June 2026," he said nervously, " You know, the one involving VR games in Japan."

"You mean," I paused, trying to recall memories from my college years in Japan, " Operation Juno of Gun Gale Online?"

"Yes, certainly."

"What about it? I thought they closed the hatch on the whole affair years ago."

"Well, the Japanese and US governments did, but I wanted to hear the Players' side of the story, not the governments' cover stories."

"There are plenty of player written stories out there, why don't you ask those players?" I had thought about writing my own accounts too but decided not to, since so many were doing so.

"Actually, I had interviewed some other players too, but you are the exception."

I raised my eye brows after he use the word "exception" to describe me. "Exception?" I asked him with genuine curiosity.

"Because you were there, at the very last moments of Operation Juno, with a certain _someone_."

I flinched when I heard the journalist said that. I wish he had not added the last part; thinking about that someone still brought me great pain, pain I knew too well.

He must have seen my reaction and promptly apologized, "I'm sorry, if talking about…"

"You should be sorry," I said in a rather harsh tone," but the wounds already hurt, it would be a waste if I stop talking now." I continued, "So what do you want to hear?"

His face lit up with relief, he said, "I have plenty of time, why don't you tell me from the beginning, with as much detail as possible." He pulled out his phone and began the recording.

_A phone is all you need these days._

"Well I don't have time," was my casual response.

"Ah, then please, at your own pace."

I let out a huge sigh and sank further into the coffee shop chair. I began telling him the story, my story, of how I ventured deep in to this world called GGO with a certain _someone_. I had found many things and lost plenty too, but I have ingrained those memories, good and bad, into my Fluctlight, my soul.

* * *

**June 2026**

**GGO, HQ Room**

I made it inside the room, barely made it. The huge, blast proof gates slid closed behind me with a locking sound. I lied prone on the cold steel floor examining my surrounding. The HQ chamber was lit with a dim blue color emitted by rows of touch screen glass keyboards and translucent displays. The Commanders' station was at the center of the large room; there a holographic display showed the trajectory of the ICBMs and the time left to save GGO.

**2 minutes 45 seconds**

_Shit! Just in time._

I wanted to rush forward and begin the abort sequence of the ICBMs, but something made me feel uneasy. No, it was someone; I can feel his present lurking just beyond me, waiting for me to pop my head up and then… shoot.

I checked my AK-74U,

**Ammo: 27/60**

my side arm the FN Five Seven,

**Ammo: 20/100**

and my equipment.

**Frag grenade: 0/3**

**Flash Bang grenade: 1/3**

I gave a quick look at my surrounding again and saw no one there, but he was there.

_I can feel it._

I reorganized my thoughts to come up with a plan. This player was probably very skilled and determined to defend his objective; if I just charged in I would be killed almost instantly because he had a good defensive position. I also had a lot of cover that I could use but fighting between cover to cover will take too long; I will either run out of ammo or have no time left to save GGO. That means an all-out charge is the only choice, granted I destroy his defensive stance first.

_The Flash Bang grenade! I can use it to disorientate him, while he is recovering, I will kill him._

I steeled my resolve, equipped the Flash Bang, and got ready to move. This was, in fact, a great gamble because if my opponent had a protective mask then the effect of my grenade would be significantly reduced, thus also reducing my chances of success. Despite having second thoughts about this I had no time to spare; the die had been cast.

_This ends now!_

* * *

"Hold on! Hold on! Slow down there, aren't you going to tell me from the beginning?" The journalist was alarmed at how I started.

_Well, maybe I did start the story off too far ahead._

"Well then, I suggest that you buy me a drink, oh and, a chicken sandwich would also be nice."

"Alright, it will probably take a while, so why not? Waiter!"

We gave our orders to the waiter and I can see the innocence in his smiles; he had no idea how many chicken sandwiches it was going to take!


	2. Déjà Vu

Chapter 1: Déjà vu

_"__**Already seen"**_

**List of Acronyms or shortened words:**

**LZ: Landing Zone**

**VRMMOFPS: Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online First Person Shooter**

**STR: Strength**

**AGI: Agility**

**Devs: Developer**

* * *

**1st of June, 2026**

The powerful wind generated by the rotors blew all the sand on the LZ, soon we were enveloped by a blinding sand storm and I could see nothing but countless sand particles violently thrown about. Now, it was a dangerous situation if the pilot can't see shit, but this is not the time to panic. I watched the altimeter's reading carefully while steadily applying more power to the rotors. Finally, the Mi-35 Super Hind broke free of the storm and I quickly regained my bearings. Looking through the bullet proof, bubble shaped canopy, I saw the setting sun, blazing red on the distant mountains. Even though I've seen this many times before, it was still mesmerizing; it was a timeless sight on an endless battlefield where I have found solace.

_Huh! Finding solace on a war zone, I'm losing my fucking mind. Well, to be fair with myself this is just a VRMMOFPS game so I can definitely feel happy about being here. If this is a real war zone I won't be flying around and so won't this girl. _

"Oi! You're going the wrong way idiot!" The helicopter's intercom cracked to life with those words from the weapons technician, who was sitting in the cockpit in front of me.

"Shit, not again!" I cursed under my breath as I quickly adjust the Hind's heading. For a fairly large helicopter gunship which was design to carry 8 troops and carry an arsenal of weapons, the Hind's response to my command was quick and nimble.

"Your brain is so scattered, I worry about you flying this thing," she chuckled, knowing that her intention to mock me had been successful.

"So, why don't you fly this thing instead while I shoot?"

"No way! We made a deal."

That brought back the memory of one particular day. It was the 1st of January 2026,when the developers introduced the long awaited **Combat Vehicle Patch** and we decided to put our fortunes (in game of course!) together to buy Mi-35 as oppose to renting one. It was a great financial decision, since we became the first few players to own and pilot a helicopter. We whizzed people around the battlefield and backed them up in firefights, at a price of course. Problem is that the Mi-35 had a crew of two, one pilot, and one weapons technician or more popularly known as the Gunner; both of us wanted to be the gunner. Hell! We both wanted to shoot the 23mm auto cannon and fire guided missiles; I mean that's why we bought it for! Yet somehow, that mischievous girl who was sitting in the gunner seat got the better of me. Actually, I knew exactly how but that's another story.

"Eh! Don't remind me of that! Anyways, want to grab some food after this?" She knew I was trying to change the subject but was reluctant to argue; after all she was also hungry.

"In game or in real life?" she asked as if she was a clueless child.

"In real life, dumb ass," I didn't say the second part.

"Sure, because I'm too lazy to cook."

"Said the girl who doesn't even know how to cook," I said mockingly. I heard an offended "humph…" over the intercom.

_Did I just pissed her off? I might have to pay for dinner again._

* * *

Her long blonde hair glistened bright golden as it fluttered in the slight breeze; her main weapon, the FN P90 hung to her side, it had gone through many perilous battles with her, slaying countless enemies. It fit her character surprisingly well, not intimidating but deadly, not silent but quick, and certainly very tough. As she stood there on the edge of the helipad gazing away at the majestic sunset, I let my eyes wander all over her breathless figure.

Her game avatar is 165cm tall just like her real self, this is more convenient to play in because if you are 165cm in real life, you don't want to suddenly become a 2m giant or vice versa. Despite having a bullet proof vest and wearing a dark, long sleeves military jacket which covered her body, one can tell that she is very thin but not in any way frail. After all she focused her avatar build on both STR and AGI equally; looks could be deceiving.

I leaned against the fence and touched the grip of my AK-74U carbine, a flawless piece of Soviet weapons engineering, reflex sights, front grip attachment and a few other modifications. It's very useful in close quarter engagements and doesn't take up much space in the cramped cockpit.

"Vanguard, are your thoughts wandering off again?" I was surprised to hear her voice right beside me; her face gave a slight grin.

"Yep, you know me."

"What could you have possibly been thinking?" she asked teasingly.

"Lance," I said her name tiringly, "I've already told you not to ask me about it."

"You pervert."

"Who said I was thinking of those things?"

"I've been with you long enough to know." she chuckled. I let out a heavy sigh; there was no point in retorting back.

"Let's log out, it's getting…" before I could even finish the sentence something inconceivable happened.

The large, neon colored hologram advertisements which were the mainstays of SBC Gurokken's skyline suddenly went blank and with no warning all the lights went out. The sun crept down slowly, casting complex shadows on the many tall steel buildings which were connected by multiple sky bridges; strangely enough, the apocalyptic city looked welcoming when it was bask by the last rays of the sun.

"What the fuck is this?" Lance was dumbfounded by the unexpected situation. Her question was soon answered. The holograms ,which went blank earlier, now came back to life. It showed a face cover by a mask, with large red goggles, and a creepy smile painted where the mouth should be.

"Greetings, GGO players," the voice was calmed and subdued, "Please don't worry about the power outage, it's done just to add to the shock value. As for anyone who is afraid of the dark we are terribly sorry." There was no sense of apology in the tone.

"Now, let's not fiddle for too long. We are Triden, a group of hackers who have successfully gained unlimited authority over GGO. Well, the Japanese server at least." he was clearly annoyed by that fact, "As you can see with your own eyes, isn't it obvious? You are now probably wondering what we are doing this for, to put it simply, we are gonna have some fun!" That last bit sounded like a psychopath form those old American horror movies which always have the same plots of mindless teenagers getting killed.

_Shit! This isn't gonna be another SAO or anything right? No, a second SAO is impossible due to the safety measures. But…_

I quickly checked the log out option and thanked the heavens that it was still there. I glanced at Lance; she was doing the same thing, we nodded at each other confirming that there was still a way out. Neither of us was trapped in SAO but we all heard the story and now something similar is happening.

"Operation Juno," the man behind the mask said in a matter-of-fact way," it was a special mission originally planned by the devs for the month of June. I'm sure most of you have heard of the details."

He was right, everyone had been talking about it, wondering about its objectives, and some had even fictitiously stated that the reward will be superfluous load of money or even extremely powerful equipment. But my trusted Informant told me not to keep my expectation too high.

"We are gonna make it extra special, so listen up you miserable lot! The mission was tweaked just a little by us, now it must be completed by the end of the month or we will destroy the GGO server. That means all your characters gone! What you owned in this game gone! And since this is a game with a unique money exchange system, we have also hacked your credentials and whatever info about you available. So, you would also lose your real life money, not to mention selling your personal info."

To begin with, erasing our characters and what we fought hard to own in this game is bad enough, I mean most serious gamers would prefer to kill themselves rather than that. But to have hacked our bank accounts and god knows how much of our personal info, that is just a brilliant way to screw all of us.

_I guess this is the second best way rather than actually killing us in real life like Kayaba did._

"Oh, one more thing! You can still log out but if you die on the battlefields, what I just told will happen to you whether the mission is cleared or not. May the game have mercy on your souls!"

"Shit!" both Lance and I cursed simultaneously.

* * *

"The food will be ready in 15 minutes." The waiter assured us as he poured us two glasses of water. I took a sip to ease the growling in my stomach. This family run establishment was located in the southwest corner of Tateyama City, just across the channel from metropolitan Tokyo, but the wicker chairs, the old wooden tables, the cold mountain air, and the smell of freshly brewed tea reminded me of the farmers' houses on the Anlong Veng Mountains of my homeland.

"You sure are hungry," the voice came from a girl sitting unnecessarily close to me but she insisted in doing so, stating that she wants to watch the MMO news stream with me since her phone was dead. Her silky long black hair flowed gently over her shoulder to her waist; the scent was of an intoxicating jasmine smell, very intoxicating when my nose was merely a few centimeters away.

"Ah, so the game devs can't even help us; locked out of their own game. That's just tragic, what do you think Aren?"

I quickly snapped back to reality, "Couldn't they at least shut down the server?" I shot back.

"No, because apparently anything they try to do will result in the complete annihilation of our data. It's like those hackers set up a bomb that will go off with the slightest tampering."

"Just like Kayaba," I remarked nonchalantly, "What do you think we should do?"

"The devs said give them a week, they will try to fix it but in the worst case we will have to complete the mission by ourselves. Assuming the hackers keep to their promise that is."

"Lance… I mean Anna; we should at least try to clear it. Even if they don't keep the promise at least we won't regret that we didn't try."

Her eyebrows furrowed, she was clearly worried about the repercussion should we failed or die. But then she sighed, letting that thought go, and said in a relaxed and curios manner, "You rarely use my real name, even here, why are you suddenly trying to change?"

"You told me to call you by your real name! I'm trying to change but old habits die hard."

"Oh Yeah! I remember that conversation. It's funny how we would only call each other by usernames." she paused for a moment as if considering something," But I kinda like your real name, it's a lot nicer, don't be offended if I use it in game Aren…" She purposely dragged out my name.

It was certainly nice to have someone to talk to in a familiar language. We were foreign students who came to Japan to continue our studies; apart from a few other international students we had no friends. We never talked about our past; this subject was taboo, so naturally both of us didn't know a shred of information about each other, not even each other's family name. I guess we both left to Japan for the reason of staying away from our histories, our lies, our regrets, and our sorrows. Maybe there was another reason, Japan was the world's leader in VR gaming technology, and hence Japan became my destination and Anna's too. Gaming was our mutual interest linking our, otherwise, isolationist behavior, and so we got to know each other. I never dared to do anything intimate with her, since we shared the two bedroom apartment; I don't want her to get the wrong idea! As much as I tried there were moments where, I have to admit, we both showed deep sentiments.

"Teasing my Danish name again aren't you?"

"Hey, I have to give your parents some credit for giving you that name, birdy boy." The name Aren meant Eagle or something in Danish, I kind of like the meaning it sort of fits my style.

"Please stop calling me that, if anything I'm an eagle not your average bird." I then realized how someone with a mind keen to erotic imaginations could possibly misinterpret that, someone like Anna. It was too late to take back what I said; she was going to make her moves and she had done it plenty of times before.

She licked her lips and said in a seductive tone close to my ear, "Why don't you show me when we get back?"

_This girl has clearly maxed out her dirty thinking._

"Not funny, lan… I mean Anna." She grinned at how I messed up her names again.

"You are paying for dinner, Aren."

* * *

**Greetings dear readers, I hope you've found the prologue and the first chapter pleasant and entertaining. **

**GGO: Operation Juno is my attempt at expanding the phantom bullet arc of SAO, although it is set at a later time. After reading the LNs for this arc, I realized that was so much potential left untapped by the author, Reki Kawahara ( By the way, he owns SAO, not me. ). So I decided to write a fic about this arc. However, this also meant that I have to build the world of GGO almost from scratch! I further expanded the world by adding Combat Vehicles and implementing Op Juno as the main plot. Hence, it will take at least another chapter to finish the _"World building process in the reader's mind"_ before we can get to the main action. Please, do stay around until then. Chapters will be release every two weeks and I will try my best to keep to that promise. Also please leave a review, constructive criticism is welcomed. Thank you for reading.**


	3. The Underdogs

Chapter 2: The Underdogs

**List of Acronyms:**

**APC: Armored Personnel Carrier **

**SPA: Self-Propelled Artillery **

**AAA or Triple A: Anti-Aircraft Artillery**

**GPMG: General Purpose Machinegun**

**AT: Anti-Tank **

* * *

**"__****In a fight, the size of the dog does not matter: what matters is the size of the fight inside the dog."**

**7th of June 2026**

The world of GGO was located on a large land mass called Rhozania, it measured about 200km from the Eastern edge to the Western edge, and 500km from the Northern tip to the South; beyond it was Open Ocean but it remained inaccessible to players. GGO's Capital, SBC Gurokken, was located in the Center of the land mass. The city had always been the center of attention since the beginning of the game, though one week after Triden's shocking announcement, the usually packed streets of Gurokken were almost empty. Most people were not eager to take their chances; they have not logged in since that day for fear of losing everything. Instead, they were waiting anxiously for the Game's owner, Zasker, or the police to stop Triden, but their efforts have yet to bore fruit. So that led to only one option, for the intrepid few to complete the operation.

"War spares not the brave but the cowardly;" a voice addressed a crowd of players, "in this war, no one will be spared."

He stopped for a moment and stared at several hundred players assembled in front of him, he then bellowed more encouraging words, "Comrades! We have been given a choice, to do the impossible or accept the unacceptable. All of you who are here today have obviously made the first choice! Now then, we will need your help."

He paused to clear his throat and continued, "GGO's most seasoned players have created a task force to clear this mission but we will need your help. No matter how low level you are, no matter what little resources you have, the only thing we seek form you is courage! The courage to face your fears and overcome it, the courage to challenge those who try to take away our game and win it back! If you have it then join this noble cause!"

The man waited for the players to stop cheering and continued, "Once we gather enough man power we will begin the operation. Like I said, all of you had been given a choice. No one will force you, it's up to you. So ask yourself, what is worst, to have tried and failed or to have failed to try?" The crowd cheered at his speech again. The man had given those players a new sense of purpose, but the road ahead will be tough and they knew it.

The task ahead could not be completed by a few elite players, they would need the support from numerous other players to add to numbers and strength; most importantly they would need support from the new combat vehicles and the crews. The task force was divided into two main components the Ground Forces and the Air Force. However, there was no Navy because GGO's accessible terrain only contained rivers and lakes.

The Army was organized into formations that could be deployed independently or supporting each other. The biggest unit was a battalion of about 500 to 600 players. Then there were companies of about 150 to 200 players, platoons of 50 players, and squads of 5 to 10 players. These formations had integrated tank, artillery, and rotary-wing aircraft units to provide support.

Combat vehicles for the Ground Forces were distinctly divided between ground vehicles and aerial vehicles. The ground vehicles consisted of Tanks, APCs, SPAs, AAAs, and Reconnaissance Vehicles; they were grouped into platoons. Aerial vehicles consisted of Attack helicopters, Transport helicopters, and Reconnaissance helicopters; they were grouped into squadrons.

In the Air Force, Jet fighters, Ground Attack Aircrafts, Bombers, and supporting airplanes were grouped into separate squadrons which were combined to form Air Wings and Air Fleets. The number of players in these groups was relatively small, since the crew number for each plane is very few and they do not carry extra troops.

However, one should not assort aerial vehicles of the Ground Forces with units of the Air Force, because although the operational doctrines of aircrafts for these two Forces were similar, their parent units were either part of the Air Force or Grounds Forces. Nonetheless, these two force would have to work closely together in order to achieve the goals; Combined Arms Operation was essential.

Needless to say, these combat vehicles provided enormous fire power and could carry troops quickly across the vast wilderness of GGO.

Since the biggest bases and facilities, which were required to perform maintenance and fix vehicles, were located around SBC Gurokken; the city would also serve as the launching pad for the players participating in Operation Juno. The objective was to assault three enemy bases located in three different regions of Rhozania and retrieve the encryption codes. It was speculated that these codes would reveal the coordinates of the final base which the players must take over to win.

It seemed easy with a combined force of several thousand players but the enemy also had thousands of NPC soldiers to defend its objectives, not to mention its own arsenal of combat vehicles. Since dying is not taken lightly anymore, casualties were to be kept as low as possible. Hence, scouting missions and small raids to weaken the enemy were done first before a major offensive. Despite being constrained by time the situation looked hopeful; in only a couple of days the players were ready to face their first hurdle.

* * *

**8th of June, 2026**

The atmosphere was hectic, as troops and vehicles were gathered for the upcoming operation. Combat units were being formed and put under the command of central HQ; also the Air Assault Battalions were being organized. It was chaos as we tried to get our squadrons together.

"So, is it lynx's squad?" Lance inquired me; her voice was drowned in the cacophony of noises.

"Zulu said we would form a squadron with players who speak English," Zulu, our battalion commander, who was intellectually gifted enough to realized that the small number of English speaking players would not communicate well with the majority of other players, decided that I should round them all up and form a squadron. GGO was split between the North American sever ,which is where most English speaking players dish it out about each other's noob skills, and the Japanese sever, which is where only a few English speakers play. Lance and I were currently in Japan so the Japanese sever was the logical choice in order to avoid any connection issues.

"So Lynx's squad would naturally be with us," I added.

"Anyone is fine as long as they don't bother me."

"They can't help it, princess." I said teasingly, "When was the last time we worked with them?"

"We airlifted them out of the Temple dungeon last time, they owe us one." Playing as mercenaries was a tiring occupation but it would benefit one greatly, especially if one owned a Helicopter. A Job could have meant anything the client wanted, from a basic infiltration and extraction mission, to hovering over one of GGO's largest beast so that the client could have a ride on it. Anything could go, as long as the binding agreement was confirmed by both parties. The binding agreement would be submitted to the system with all of the objectives and rewards details, then Cardinal-San will make use both side keep true to their words, or else…. If both sides manage to stick to their promises, then at the end of the agreement, not only will they receive the rewards but their Rep will also increase. Having a good Rep is quintessential for any mercenary because their rep could be view by a prospecting client. Likewise, the mercenary could also view the Rep of a client. The transparency prevented any scams but it didn't always work.

"Speaking of which, you almost killed them too." My criticism of her shooting ability earned me, as usual, a jabbed to my ribs but thanks to my body armor I was never in too much pain.

"You were the one who was flying like a drunken idiot!"

"I was trying not to get us shot down!"

We were about to have one those arguments on who is better at their respective jobs; fortunately a familiar voice interrupted our session.

"Vanguard! Lance!" the familiar voice with a heavy Australian accent came from a player with fiery red hair, and a Styr Aug assault rifle slung on his back. Behind him were four other players I knew. Despite his Spartan appearance, Lynx was actually a very calm and easy going person, combined with the mind of a tactical genius, he was probably one the best squad leaders in game. Well, in my opinion at least.

"How has it been?" I asked the group, but soon realized how stupid it was to ask such a question with the current circumstances.

"Oh, the usual," Zed, who jokes around about everything even while using explosives, replied sarcastically. The team's demolition expert and armed with an AA12 automatic shotgun, he specialized in working with all sorts of highly volatile stuff; furthermore he never fails to laugh a tense situation off. His pyro technic skills were off the hook in every way, so were his erotic imagination skills. He preferred to keep his short, brown, scruffy hair that way, saying that it won't get into his face every time he blows something up.

"Hello, Snow." The girl I greeted, was always stoic and had a cold, neutral expression; nevertheless she smiled back, acknowledging my existence. She is friendly and kind-hearted, though she wouldn't talk unless it was necessary. Her weapon of choice was the XM8 assault rifle, complimenting that was an RPG-7 rocket launcher, Scary! Also she was the only player in the squad who could speak Japanese fluently and often acted as the translator. Her long, fluttering, pure white hair was always an amazing sight in battle; it also fit her username extremely well.

"Bonjour Mousieur Vanguard, Madame Lance." Woods, who was very tall and strongly built, greeted me and lance as if we were a couple. The team's machine gunner, he was armed with the MG3 GPMG capable of spitting out 1300 bullets in 1 minute; he was the most cheerful person of the group, also the strongest. His blue beret and French accent always gave the impression of a French colonel.

"Priyatno videt' vas," replied the petite sniper Katya. She had an adorable face and shoulder length blonde hair, and also the shortest among all of us. Though, what she lacked in height she made up with her extraordinary sniping skills with the SVDK sniper rifle. She was a loud mouth in both encouragement and swearing, in Russian, which is very different from the stealthy sniper everyone usually thought of. Easily teased, she had been Anna's target for constant aggravation, much to everyone's amusement.

"Oh! Hello there shorty!" Lance greeted Katya rather rudely by patting Katya's head, this infuriated the petite sniper. Snow, the only mature enough female present, stepped in and stopped the two from having a brawl again.

Lynx chuckled and at the sight and told me, "I see we are always well together, here I'll send the invite." A window appeared into my view.

**[ Lynx asked you to combine squads.]**

**Lynx's squad:**

**Lynx – Commander/Rifleman**

**Snow – AT grenadier**

**Woods – Machine Gunner**

**Katya – Sniper**

**Zed – Demolition Engineer**

**Your squad:**

**Vanguard – Pilot/ Rifleman **

**Lance – Weapons Technician/ Scout**

I pressed the confirm button, linking our squads together. This made it easier to communicate with each other, also it adds a small bonus to experience and credits earned in battle. Furthermore, Lynx's squad could take a ride on our helicopter without having the confirmation window pop up in front of me every single fucking time!

We were soon joined by 3 other Mi-35s each carrying a squad of 5-8 soldiers, completing our squadron. I was chosen as the squadron leader, since I was the most senior pilot. On the other hand, the four infantry squads we were carrying were led by lynx, since he was the highest level soldier. Most of us were already acquainted with each other because we usually joined up together or even fought each other in the past.

I sent a message to Zulu, "My squadron's formed. I'm leading the attack helis while Lynx's leading the soldiers."

He replied,"Good work! The battalion's about 50% completed, I still need to find some AC130 transports."

To which I wrote, "I think the AC130 pilots hang out at hangar #549. Good luck finding them!"

I closed the chat box, seeing that Lynx had a question mark on his face.

"Oi, what's the commander saying mate?" he asked.

"Battalion is at half strength, with luck, we can get over this organization crap before it's dinner time." I remarked nonchalantly.

"I just want to start blowing their fucking heads off," he hissed and continued bitterly, "Those bloody hackers, messing with people's lives. And they think it's all fun and games."

"Well, shit happens in life. We got to deal with it mate." I disastrously tried to imitate his accent.

"This is a fairly large group," Lance interrupted, my off topic discussion with Lynx was getting the better of her.

"Right, indeed, Four Mi-35s and 33 players. I still need a second in command though, just in case I die." I responded.

"You're being melodramatic," she said sarcastically but continued in a more serious tone, "Greek seems like a good choice, she had improved a lot lately."

Greek was a female pilot and had been a close friend of Lance since the beginning.

"I'm not suggesting her just because she is a close friend of mine," she added before I could point out the fact. "Besides, you know who the best leader is among those three pilots."

"I would love to make you my second in command Lance, only if you were a pilot."

"If this is one of your attempts at persuading me to be the pilot and you the gunner, then stop it." She gave me a death glare; I discontinued my feeble attempt and put my thought on to more pressing matters.

_She's right. Greek is a better leader than Weasel or Phobos. Although, those two are more experienced they lack the initiative and are better at following instructions then giving instructions. Greek is far better at seizing the initiative and has a sharp mind when in comes to tactics. However, Greek can start cracking under pressure. _

I sighed heavily.

_Well, I should have some faith in her. _

"So, who'll it be?" Lance was always correct at predicting when I've made my decision.

"Who else? Greek, of course." I called the other pilots over and informed them of the decision; we all agreed on it.

Just then, I received a message form Zulu, it was about our unit's position in the Battalion. I read it out loud to the rest of my squadron mates," As of now, you are part of the 18th Attack Helicopter Squadron, 3rd Assault Company, 5th Air Assault Battalion." I paused for a moment to look at their faces, these players were prepared to putting themselves in the grave danger, furthermore they have entrusted their lives to my command. As the leader, I would have to go through the same hardship as them and share the same danger as them. After making that unwavering resolution, I continued, "Let's make sure that everyone will remember the 18th Squadron for our deeds in Operation Juno!"

And remember us they would.

* * *

**Firstly, a whole world of thanks to the reviewers and readers. There are times when I feel not doing anything, but seeing the reviews and number of views rise gives me the strength to continue. Also, to my curious friends who have read this, yes, this is what I do in my Khmer classes. **

**Secondly, there was a lot of explanation done in this chapter and it's important that you, the reader, could understand. So please tell me if it was good or bad, how could I have done it better, what part are unclear, etc. **

******Anyways, the players are getting ready for their first offensive, next chapter will definitely be packed with action.**


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